The Last Hope.
Team Titan Think Tank Issue 30 “Occupied Territory Part Seven- The Last Hope.” Front cover- along the bottom of the cover are the words in grey, blocked letters are the words BATTLE FOR THE MEGAPLEX. On the cover, Sonne and Cain are shown from slightly above as they stand back to back, Cain with brown scales and shooting blue proton beams up at the Reichdroids at the top of the cover, whilst Sonne fires a red beam from both palms held together at Blitzkrieg. Blocking the entrance to the roof and on the cover, standing together, are the energy destabilising black costumed mystery man, Citizen Ape and the Citizen Titans. The comic opens with Sonne and Cain not far from the roof edge, as the Blitzkrieg drone created from Mister Psychic hovers only 20ft above them, his two remaining Reichdroid Orbiters behind him, as he flies on two discs of electrical energy generated from his feet. “Don't you people understand? I am everywhere...” CUT The comic cuts to Redemption, as he turns from the room with the Team Titan Black hostages, Moleculus, and his circle of protective Reichdroid Shocktroopers and the monstrous Kleiser, as he turns to see the Yu-possessing Blitzkrieg drone fly in and land behind him, as Blitzkrieg's mind projects the same speech to all of you. “And I don't say that to boast. It is a fact. I do not only see through these drones created in my image, but through every living, breathing thing and the nanites zey contain.” CUT The comic then cuts to Tonic, breathing heavily, sweating, incredibly frightened and running further into the ground floor lobby of the Megaplex, with its many concrete pillars lining the walls, as the Blitzkrieg drone possessing Don marches towards her. “And it is beautiful, life ordered through one consciousness...” CUT The comic cuts back to Sonne and Cain. “In Blitzkrieg City, zere is no theft, zere is no murder. Zere is no crime. I created a utopia...” CUT The comic cuts back to Redemption. “And perhaps without thousands of pair of eyes at once, you cannot see what it is that I see. Shall I tell you what I see?” CUT The comic cuts back to Tonic. “The work of the super hero. Destruction. And vas I the cause? Perhaps, but only in defence of my perfect world, which only in 60 seconds, your like and Kaan'Qsst have begun to set the blocks tumbling. Simply, because you resist. You resist harmony, unity.” CUT The comic then on the next page shows a singular face of Blitzkrieg, surrounded by panels of Team Titan reacting to him as he completes his speech. “You know, I have finally come to understand so much in zis time I have been trapped. Reflecting. Graham Stevens, how he hated your kind, ze super hero, and I see why. You fight for supposed good, but do you bring betterment to ze world? No, you fight, and you fight, and all you bring is stagnation and destruction. I see now why my doppelganger, ze one that formed from one of your own, Optech, and why he sought the Kraan, and why he leads them now. Why he is coming for your pathetic planet. And I see it now. The Kraan, why zem? Zey are one united mind, conquerors, yes, but once as enemy is subsumed... then peace comes. Harmony. Of course, zey only unite among zemselves, zey cannot subjugate a populace. So zey bring only further chaos and destruction, now matter how noble zere goal. But, with ze nanites, and my consciousness to guide zem, zere is a true mind, a true source of perfect order. Though my doppelganger once surpassed me, now, in seeking my own evolution, I have surpassed him. You have two choices. Open your portal, and return me to the world, and finally there will be an Earth no longer harmed by the vices of humankind, a world I will defend from my doppelganger and his fleet. A world you may join. Or continue to resist, and be destroyed, and leave your planet also to its inevitable enslaving by alien creatures who make your kind, zere slaves and home for zere eggs.” Tonic, who had been showing nothing but fear before, has her eyes suddenly harden in anger during Blitz's speech "N...Never. Say my grandfather's name again...or c...compare y...yourself t...to him..." "Ah family pride, is it? How beautiful. Well soon, my dear, you shall meet your grandfather, and ve will see how beautiful the reunion is...vell that is you survive me, zat is." "Blitzkrieg... I *do* seek a world to join." Cain admits, eyes closed. "But a lifetime of servitude has taught me that what you offer..." He flashes his eyes open, glowing with defiance in the next panel, "Is a prison!" CUT The comic cuts back to Redemption in the chamber inside Blitzkrieg Island. The Shocktroopers that were in a circle around Molekulus move in front of him in a defensive line, raising up their fists, which glow with electrical energy. Kleiser leaves Dark Horse, still alive, but barely moving, after Kleiser was crushing his neck. He marches over to Redemption. “So vat will it be?” Kleiser cracks his knuckles. “I will not surrender my world to you Nazi scumbags. You speak of order and unity, but what does that mean, when weighed against the necessity of free will, of choice? These people want to be free... need to be free... I feel it within the core of my very being. I am the yearning for hope of Titan City, and I will not surrender the world of these people to you. Life is worth nothing if lived without the chance to actually live.” CUT Sonne's armour glows. "Unity? You speak of unity? These people, these animals, they aren't united to your cause... their slaves. And I don't know a lot about the planet they come from (I'm from space), but I am pretty sure..." Sonne's armour flares up "Slavery was abolished!" "Zery well. I will at least have fun killing you" says each of the four Blitzbots The comic cuts to Tonic as the Blitzbot starts to split apart into a nanite cloud... the dart in his shoulder flares with an electrical pulse, along with the one Tonic shot her own leg with, as the Blitzbot screams. The nanite cloud, rather than converging into another location, drops to the floor. The corpse of Don Pterana flops to the ground as the nanites slough off of it, his neck and back broken from falling through a building. Tonic freezes in horror, just...staring at what she has done "I...I d...didn't mean t...to...I..." CUT The comic then cuts to Mister Tops, now covered head to toe in constricting goop as the Blitzbot facing him translocates constantly around him, smashing his fists into various places, but seems incapable of harming the giant. CUT The Blitzbot facing Cain and Sonne diappears into a nanite cloud. Sonne follows the cloud with his eyes, and when it appears behind him, materialsing, completely ducks under the fist. "Nazi hardware sure lacks the punch of Gunn Industries!" The Blitzbot bursts into a cloud around him, more rapidly forming and reforming around him as Sonne weaves, dodges and punches away each attack. Gunn laughs with sheer enjoyment. Having never been tested in a real fight before, the novelty is still with him. "Freeyow! Come on, Blitzy! You're too slow!" There's a quick panel inside of Gunn's helmet projected HUD, showing likely angles of attack, which Gunn is responding to faster than thought. Cain similarly evades Blitzkrieg's onslaught, constantly following the nanite formations and weaving, ducking, and shrinking to avoid them, before there is a break in the assault. He takes a moment to stand tall and confident - and in that moment a nanite arm lunges from the cloud, forming around his neck. Blitzkrieg's wicked talons appear over his shoulder and dig in with a spray of blood, his thumb idly but surely poised to crush Cain's throat, as the Blitzbot forms, holding Cain so his feet dangle over the roof edge. CUT The comic cuts to Dungeon Master and Games Master Dungeon Master raises up a hand, and the energy dragon he summoned leaking back into it through corsucating ribbons of energy. "Well, you know bro, that DZZZZT ah could never beat any bloody bosses ZZZT so ah guess ah'm gonna have to do ZT what people like me always do in that situation..." The energy entirely coalesces into his body. "CHEAT!" He gestures at GM, but there is no visible effect. "Always was your way, bro'." Games Master stands in a defiant pose. "But- They'll be no using cheat codes today." "... Damn. Ah well, tryin' ta energy leech the guy who can do tha same... long shot." CUT The comic cuts back to Sonne as he rocket boosts at the Blitzbot. "Not today, Mein Leib!" There's the sound of a sonic-boom, which is muted as it impacts, as if it's been absorbed, but the hit is considerable. CUT The comic cuts back to GM and DM, who appear to be having an INTENSE staring match "Hang on, now you're trying ta ZZZZT leech ME? You're a slow study, bro." "We're been through this fight many times. It's time you levelled up." GM's stare grows more intense. "Hey, the role playing references ARE MY GIG!" DM yells back. CUT The comic cuts to Citizen Ape, as he pounds his mighty fists upon his stone chest, right at the clump of Sonne, Cain and the Blitzbot at the roof edge "Oo oo... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He unleashes a pulsing line of sonic energy at them. Sonne is first in line; the sonic energy tears some mostly aesthetic pieces of outer armour plating off and rams him into Blitzkrieg, chest plating cracking. The Blitzbot lets go of Cain as all three of them are hurled away through the air; the comic cuts to the ape watching them as the four become specks, launched for MILES. Fortunately, they don't fly through lots of buildings, Captain Cyrmu style, as the Megaplex is one of the tallest buildings in the city, but regardless, the three are hurled several miles, as they leave the city centre behind. The comic cuts to a heavily injured Cain, flung through the air, as he ceases being flung and starts falling, suburban houses below him. Cain shakes himself off, coming to his senses, and catches the wind with his wings. He sweeps his gaze over the houses, then begins to look around frantically "No... no, no! NO! It was so close... we were so CLOSE!" he rages "GUNN! By Karndazak's horned head, GUNN, WHERE ARE YOU? If I can't achieve trans-dimensional communication soon, torching this whole place will be too damned good for them..." he hisses, the red of his scales deepening, smoke escaping from the corners of his mouth as he seethes. The Blitzbot and Sonne hurtle towards Cain and he turns his head to see this side on, with an "... ah." "You should have quieter rants Cain... but zank you for enlightening me to ze potential threat of the Megaplex." There is a close up of Cain's sly, personal grin, before he turns to the rapidly approaching Blitzbot with a look of horror, raising his hands to begin shielding himself - quiverring and turning blue CUT The comic cuts to the Megaplex roof as the entire roof glows, as a cage of energy completely paralyses Chaos and Esc-Ape, the two teleporters, and the Citizen Titans. The black costumed mystery man can still move in his cage, but is still immoblised; only Citizen Ape manages to tear himself from his cage The comic then cuts to a few miles east of the centre (Cain and Sonne were sent a few miles west), there stands a young man of about 16. With ruffled blond hair, he is a handsome young man, but clearly a geek, from his t-shirt, which has JUSTICE JURY FOREVER on it. Blitzkrieg's telepathic bubble appears in his head. "Now. Target ze Megaplex." The teenager gestures up at the sky... short, scrawny, he doesn't look much. And then a mass of purple portals open in the sky in a circle around the Megaplex, as out of the circles fly some kind of warheads, as they fly at the Megaplex. CUT The comic cuts to Tonic "GROUND FLOOR LEVEL INTRUDER DETECTED. INTIATING ENERGY RESTRAIN PROTOCOL." "...u...uh oh...wh...wha...wait..." A cube phases out of the wall as she flings herself away from it, starting to crawl... it snags her leg. "...oh f...for...crying out...gah..." she fruitlessly attempts to kick it off her leg. "...Oh bum..." And then reverberating throughout all of the building she hears. "16 UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL OBJECTS DETECTED ON ATTACK TRAJECTORY. ACTIVATING FORCE FIELDS." The comic cuts to the roof, to the man with face covering, featureless mask looking up, as the 16 fiery streaks through the sky approach... fast. He looks at the energy bars and then at Esc-Ape's still active portal. "I still need you" says Blitzkrieg's thoughts. "Fortunately, I have given you a few seconds to free yourself." "Charming" thinks the mystery man. He gestures at the bars, as white energy ripples out of his hands and the energy bars shatter apart. He flings himself through the portal. Citizen Ape also looks up. "Me take 'em." He stands defiantly. A force field rages into golden life around the building and the missiles aim for different sections along the height of the building; the missiles pound into the forcefield. The comic shows this in an impressive double paged spread, as the forcefield holds, though massive cracks run down it and the entire building trembles. The Citizen Titans are flung off the roof edge. Citizen Ape remains on his feet and Esc-ape is flung face first into the roof. He picks himself up, shaking his bloodied face. CUT The comic cuts to Tonic on the ground level of the Megaplex. The entire building trembles around her and part of the ceiling falls towards her, and lands on her. Tonic phases out ofthe rubble, though there is still a dribble of blood from her nose. CUT The comic cuts to Redemption. “Your choice results not only in your death but ze death of zese useless hostages”, the Blitzbot says. “You would kill them or control them, no matter my choice. I only hope that I can save them in time. And if not... you will pay for each death a hundred times... with my fists!” Redemption replies “Don't you understand? Your fists, your power... they are useless here. All in zis city are my thralls.” He gestures at Katana, small and shivering without her alien suit bonded to her, Iron Jack, still with his iron heart and head plating, that keep him alive, and his cybernetic legs to stand, but with his cybernetic eye and arm removed, and without any of his weapons, and at Damage Control, who simply appears a large military man, with the hyper-sonic cannons attached to his shoulders removed. Dark Horse has no cybernetics to be removed, but beneath his black furry hide, there are the scars of torture. “Zese ones are only considered expendable for so maimed zem before zere so called cure wore off. Zey could have been useful to me. But fortunately, Team Titan Black has had others in its ranks before.” The Blitzkrieg drone looks ahead of Redemption to a spot, looking just over Katana's shoulder. Blitzkrieg gestures across his 'throat' with a huge finger. The comic shows Le Qui stood where Blitzkrieg was looking, transparent and ghostly, only visible to the reader, one arm across Katana, his other arm not visible as there is a BAM and Katana drops. He then fires a sweeping flurry of shots at the other hostages, but a bullet just grazes Jack's head, as his metal plate takes most of the shot, a bullet hits Damage Control's left shoulder plate as he drops onto his knees and he shoots Dark Horse in the back, though his thick hide seems to take some of the bullet. “No, no I can't have failed...” says Redemption as he reaches out, looking at the bodies. Blitzkrieg's body dissipates into a cloud of nanites, seemingly absorbing Yu's body into them as his body does not reappear. He appears behind Katana, her eyes still open, as he slams her head into the floor, but pouring as as she is left. He then appears by Jack, crushing the metal plating on his skull with a horrible grin, as he drops, blood leaking from beneath the plate, he then punches his hand into Damage Control's back as he drops, and picks up Dark Horse, smashing his body into the floor as far as possible. Redemption winces, clutching his head, as if in pain. “You have failed. Velcome to Team Titan” says Blitzkrieg. He then bursts into another nanite cloud and reappears floating above Redemption, as he boots him in the face, knocking Redemption down to one knee, as Blitzkrieg then reforms back where he was stood, behind Redemption. Then the comic shows what the Redemption cannot see, as the transparent forms of others formerly of Team Titan black stand around him. The amphibian, tall, lithe and muscular, green scaled, fish-eyed Leviathan stands on his left and punches him in the side, but does not seem to hurt him, whilst Bogeyman a huge slab of a man with very small eyes and mouth, nearing 8 foot high, dressed like a Citizen Titan, with the shield, slams it into Redemption's face, with similarly no effect. Behind him though, is stood Ripcage, the black, animated skeleton with radioactive green glowing eyes, as his arms turn into scythes, and he stabs them into Redemption's back. He roars out. Kleiser grabs Redemption by the throat and starts crushing, holding onto him, as Redemption chokes. Molekulus leers forward as he sits in his command chair. He stands up, so he can see over his Shocktroopers; he grins a sick grin and then opens his mouth inhumanly wide, as black energy flies from his mouth and coils around Redemption like a snake. Redemption chest starts to glow, as the shadowy energy cracks apart against the golden light. “Do... what you... wish to me...” Redemption smiles, despite Kleiser's crushing hand. “I cannot die, for I am the hope of all the slaves of Titan City. They... hope... deep in their hearts....” the glow from his chest increases, to the point where those in the room have to flinch. “For freedom... and I shall grant them... that freedom...” The chest's of all Team Titan Black glow... and oddly, the chest of the middle Shocktrooper. “I -am- that freedom. Titan City...” The energy from Redemption's chest passes through Kleiser, to his shock, and up into the air, as similar energy cordons come from Team Titan Black. The comics cut to show energy cordons coming from the city populace below Blitzkrieg Island, and rising to the purple sky. “... shall have its.... REDEMPTION!” From the sky, a massive golden beam shoots down, focussing on Blitzkrieg Island. And then it shoots out. The golden energy rises in a wave, passing over the Megaplex, passing over where Tops is trapped, and beyond. The comic cuts to show the suburbs of Titan City, the centre in the distance, as a 4 mile hemispherical golden dome of light covers it. Sonne, Cain and the Blitzbot see the energy dome extend towards them, literally just stopping inches from them. "... Is it always like this?" Sonne asksm bewildered, Cain flinches at the approaching light at first, but then stares into it, the light glittering in his eyes. "If by that you mean 'unexpected' then, always." CUT The comic cuts to Tonic, as the golden light spreads around her. She can see it coming from outside, but not from where. "...I r..r.eally s...should h..h.ave s...stayed at h...home..." CUT Kleiser looks back to Molekulus. “What just happened?” Le Qui raises up his pistol, still invisible, between the two Nazis. “Payback.” Molekulus looks puzzled. “I am not sure. Something to do with whatever he was rambling about!” says Molekulus, gesturing wildly at Redemption. “ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!” reverberates through the island in Blitzkrieg's speech bubble, both from his drone, and through the walls. The Blitzbot drops to its knees, and looks at its hands, as the nanites waft away as if there was a gust carrying them away, as over several panels they leave Yu... free. Yu slowly climbs to his feet, stands up straight and holds his fists by his sides, taking a calming breath, his eyes closed. His eyes then snap open, narrowing and focusing intently on Molekulus. "The tyranny stops now." “He's making ze nanites useless... Kleiser, hurry up and KILL THAT CAPED IMBECILE!” Moleklus cries out. “Team Titan Black.. Le Qui... free... I cannot see them... unless...” He looks to his Shock Troopers. “Team Titan Black... target and exterminate, until further orders are given.” He then gestures at Yu. “And zat one!” The glow from the chests of the humans has now gone, but the Shocktrooper whose chest was glowing does not fire. The Shocktroopers raise up their fists and open their hands, hurling orbs of electricity. Leviathan leaps and ducks with incredibly agility, Bogeyman simply raises his shield which absorbs them, Le Qui dives and rolls as the orbs sail past. Two orbs fly at the Master of Arms. Yu takes a rapid step to the left, leaning to one side to let the first orb pass by harmlessly, before dropping into a low crouch, ducking the second and looking ready to spring, his right hand hovering near his sword's hilt. The previously motionless Shocktrooper makes a pointed stare at Master of Arms as he dodges, and then he turns to Molekulus. “You should choose your guards more wisely” it drones. Molekulus's eyes widen. “Oh no...” The robot repeatedly punches Moleculus, but his massive mass seems to absorb the blows. There is a panel of Yu's eyes widening as he pays special attention to the way that the strange Shocktrooper is striking Molekulus, before he regains his composure, focuses on Redemption's predicament and bursts into action, dissapearing from view with a flash. He reappears in midair, near Kleiser as he holds Redemption, spinning with his sword drawn like a dervish. He unleashes a flurry of fluid, spinning, unrelenting blows on the monster of a man, stepping nimbly away and turning to face the rest of the room, confident in his attack. Kleiser keels over, hitting the floor hard, rendered completely unconscious. Redemption pulls Kleiser's now limp arms from his throat. He looks to Yu and smiles. "It is good to have you back, my friend." "You have grown, Reb." "More accurately, I have been diminished for a long time. I know what I am now. But now is not the time for talk... now is the time to FIGHT!" He fist pumps the air End of issue